My People

Vol. 17, Issue 4, April 2004

"If my people, who are called by My name, humble themselves and pray, and seek My face and turn from
their evil ways, I will hear them from heaven and pardon their sins and revive their land."  2 Chronicles 7:14

Pope Urges Fervent Prayer For Vocations

The 41st
World Day of Prayer for Vocations will be observed on the Fourth Sunday of
Easter, May 2. In his message for the day, dated November 23, 2003, Pope
John Paul II asked all the faithful to "join in fervent prayer for vocations to
the priesthood, to the consecrated life, and to missionary service." He
pointed out that the strength of their witness "depends on their
holiness." The Pope's message follows:

"'Pray therefore the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest'
(Lk 10:2).

"These words that Jesus addressed to
the Apostles show the attention that the Good Shepherd always paid to His sheep.
He does everything so that they 'may have life, and have it abundantly' (Jn
10:10). After His Resurrection, the Lord entrusted His disciples with the
responsibility to continue His same mission, so that the Gospel would be
proclaimed to men and women of all times. Many are those who have generously
responded and continue to respond to the constant invitation of Jesus: 'Follow
Me!' (Jn 21:22); they are men and women who accept to place their lives at the
complete service of His Kingdom.

"On the occasion of
the upcoming 41st World Day of Prayer for Vocations, held traditionally on the
Fourth Sunday of Easter, all of the faithful join in fervent prayer for
vocations to the priesthood, to the consecrated life, and to missionary service.
Indeed, our primary duty is to pray to the 'Lord of the harvest' for those who
already follow Christ very closely in the priesthood and religious life, and for
those whom He in His mercy continues to call to such important ecclesial
service.

Local churches pray for vocations and must continue to do
so

Pope John Paul II

"Let us pray for vocations!

"In the Apostolic Letter Novo Millennio
Ineunte I noted how 'in today's world, despite widespread secularization, there
is a widespread demand for spirituality, a demand which expresses itself in a
large part as a renewed need for prayer' (n. 33). Our unanimous request to the
Lord is inserted into this 'need for prayer' so that He 'send out laborers into
His harvest'.

"I acknowledge with joy that in many
particular Churches, cenacles of prayer for vocations are being formed. In the
major seminaries and in houses of formation of religious and missionary
institutes, gatherings are held for this purpose. Numerous families become
little 'cenacles' of prayer, helping young people to answer the Divine Master's
call with courage and generosity.

"Yes! The vocation
to serve Christ alone in His Church is an inestimable gift of the divine
goodness, a gift to implore with insistence and trusting humility. The Christian
must be always more open to this gift, careful not to waste 'the time of grace'
and 'the time of visitation' (cf. Lk 19:44).

"Prayer
joined to sacrifice and suffering is of special value. Suffering, lived in one's
own body as a completion of what is lacking 'in the sufferings of Christ, for
the sake of His body, the church' (Col 1:24), becomes a very effective form of
intercession. Many sick people throughout the world unite their sufferings to
the Cross of Christ, imploring for holy vocations. They accompany me spiritually
as well, in the Petrine ministry that God has entrusted to me, and offer to
the cause of the Gospel a precious contribution, even if it is often
completely hidden.

Eucharist is at the heart of all prayer
initiatives

"Let us pray for those called to the priesthood and to
religious life!

"My heartfelt wish
is that prayer for vocations be intensified ever more; prayer that is adoration
of the mystery of God and thanksgiving for the 'great things' that He has
accomplished and does not cease to carry out, despite human weakness.
Contemplative prayer is pervaded with wonder and gratitude for the gift of
vocations.

"The Eucharist is at the center of all
prayer initiatives. The sacrament of the Altar holds a decisive value for the
birth of vocations and for their perseverance, because from Christ's redemptive
sacrifice those called are able to draw strength to dedicate themselves entirely
to the proclamation of the Gospel. It is good that adoration of the Blessed
Sacrament goes hand-in-hand with the Eucharistic Celebration, thus prolonging,
in a certain sense, the mystery of the Holy Mass.

Contemplating Christ, truly
and substantially present under the species of bread and wine, can give rise in
the heart of the person called to the priesthood or to a particular mission in
the Church the same enthusiasm that led Peter to exclaim on the mount of the
Transfiguration: 'Lord, it is good that we are here!' (Mt 17:4; cf. Mk 9:5; Lk
9:33). This is a privileged way to contemplate the face of Christ with Mary and
at the school of Mary, who for her interior disposition can be rightly called
"woman of the Eucharist" (Encyclical Letter Ecclesia de Eucharistia, n.
53).

"May all Christian communities become
'authentic schools of prayer,' where one prays that laborers may not be lacking
in the vast field of apostolic work. It then becomes necessary that the Church
accompany with constant spiritual attention those whom God has called and who
'follow the Lamb wherever He goes' (Rv 14:4): I refer to priests, Religious,
hermits, consecrated virgins, members of secular institutes – in short, all
those who have received the gift of the vocation and carry 'this treasure in
earthen vessels' (2 Cor 4:7). In the Mystical Body of Christ there is a wide
variety of ministries and charisms (cf. 1 Cor 12:12), all of them meant for the
sanctification of the Christian people. In the reciprocal attention for
holiness, which must animate every member of the Church, it is necessary to pray
so that those 'called' remain faithful to their vocation and reach the highest
possible degree of evangelical perfection.

Every minister of Christ is
called to pray for vocations

"Prayer of those called.

"In the Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation
Pastores Dabo Vobis I stressed that 'a necessary requirement of this pastoral
charity towards one's own particular Church and its future ministry is the
concern which the priest should have to find, so to speak, someone to replace
him in the priesthood' (n. 74). While it is known that God calls those whom He
wills (cf. Mk 3:13), it must nevertheless be the concern of every minister of
Christ to pray with perseverance for vocations. No one better than he is able to
understand the urgency of a generational exchange that guarantees generous and
holy persons for the proclamation of the Gospel and the administration of the
Sacraments.

"Precisely in this prospective, it is
more necessary than ever 'to cling steadfastly to the Lord and to personal
vocation and mission' (Vita Consecrata, n. 63). The strength of the witness
given by those called and their ability to involve others and inspire each of
them to entrust his or her own life to Christ depends on their holiness. Such is
the way to counteract the reduction in vocations to the consecrated life which
threatens the continuance of many apostolic works, especially in mission
countries.

"Moreover, the prayer of those called –
priests and consecrated persons – is of special value since it is part of the
priestly prayer of Christ. Through them He prays to the Father so that He
sanctify and keep in His love those whom, although being in the world, do not
belong to it (cf. Jn 17:14-16).

"May the Holy Spirit
make the entire Church a praying people who raise their voices to the Heavenly
Father to implore holy vocations to the priesthood and to the consecrated life.
Let us pray so that those chosen and called by the Lord be faithful and joyful
witnesses of the Gospel, to which they have consecrated their existence.

We
must turn to the Lord in trust and call upon Him through Mary

"We turn to
You, Lord, in trust!
Son of God,
sent by the Father to the
men and
women of every time and of
every part of the earth!
We call upon You
through Mary,
Your Mother and ours:
may the Church not
lack in
vocations,
especially those dedicated in a
special way to Your
Kingdom.

"Jesus, only Saviour of mankind!
We pray to You for
our
brothers and sisters who have
answered 'yes' to Your
call to the
priesthood,
to the consecrated life,
and to the missions.
May their
lives be renewed
day by day,
to become a living Gospel.

"Merciful
and holy Lord,
continue to send new laborers
into the harvest of Your
Kingdom!
Assist those whom You call
to follow You in our
day;
contemplating Your face,
may they respond with joy
to the wondrous
mission
that You entrust to them
for the good of Your People
and of all
men and women.
You Who are God and live
and reign
with the Father and
the Holy Spirit,
for ever and ever. Amen."

The Disabled Offer Great Witness

Disabled people are
humanity's privileged witnesses, Pope John Paul II said in a message, dated
January 6, to participants in an International Symposium on the Dignity and
Rights of the Mentally Disabled Person held in Rome. In his message,
the Pope said:

Disabled persons are fully human subjects with inalienable
rights

". . .The starting point for every
reflection on disability is rooted in the fundamental convictions of Christian
anthropology: even when disabled persons are mentally impaired or when their
sensory or intellectual capacity is damaged, they are fully human beings and
possess the sacred and inalienable rights that belong to every human creature.
Indeed, human beings, independently of the conditions in which they live or of
what they are able to express, have a unique dignity and a special value from
the very beginning of their life until the moment of natural death. The disabled
person, with all the limitations and suffering that scar him or her, forces us
to question ourselves, with respect and wisdom, on the mystery of man. In fact,
the more we move about in the dark and unknown areas of human reality, the
better we understand that it is in the more difficult and disturbing situations
that the dignity and grandeur of the human being emerges. The wounded humanity
of the disabled challenges us to recognize, accept, and promote in each one of
these brothers and sisters of ours the incomparable value of the human being
created by God to be a son in the Son.

Human rights cannot be the
prerogative of the healthy

"The quality of life
in a community is measured largely by its commitment to assist the weaker and
needier members with respect for their dignity as men and women. The world of
rights cannot only be the prerogative of the healthy. People with disabilities
must also be enabled to participate in social life as far as they can, and
helped to fulfill all their physical, psychological, and spiritual potential.
Only by recognizing the rights of its weakest members can a society claim to be
founded on law and justice: the disabled are not different from other
people which is why, in recognizing and promoting their dignity and rights, we
recognize and promote our own dignity and rights and those of each one of
us.

Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace!
Where there is
hatred . . . let me sow love.
Where there is doubt . . . faith.
Where
there is despair . . . hope.
Where there is darkness . . . light.
Where
there is sadness . . . joy.
O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much
seek
To be consoled . . . as to console.
To be understood . . . as to
understand.
To be loved . . . as to love.
For it is in giving . . . that
we receive.
For it is in pardoning . . . that we are pardoned.
And it is
in dying . . . that we are born to eternal life.

 Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi

"A society that made room only for its fully
functional, completely autonomous, and independent members, would be unworthy of
the human being. Discrimination on the basis of effectiveness is just as
disgraceful as racial, gender, or religious discrimination. A subtle form of
discrimination is also present in politics and educational projects that seek to
conceal or deny the deficiencies of disabled people by proposing lifestyles and
objectives that do not correspond to their reality and turn out to be unjust and
frustrating. Indeed, justice calls for continual and loving attention to the
lives of others and a response to the special and different needs of every
individual, taking into consideration his or her abilities and
limitations.

"The diversity that is due to a
person's disability can be integrated into his respective unique individuality,
and relatives, teachers, friends, and the whole of society must contribute to
this. Thus, for disabled people, as for any other human being, it is not
important that they do what others do but that they do what is truly good for
them, increasingly making the most of their talents and responding faithfully to
their own human and supernatural vocation.

"Recognition of their rights must be followed by a sincere commitment on the
part of all to create practical living conditions, structures which provide
support, and legal protection that can respond to the needs and dynamics of the
growth of disabled persons and of those who are involved in their situation,
beginning with their families. Over and above any other consideration or
individual or group interest, no effort must be spared in promoting the integral
good of these people. Nor can they be denied the support and protection they
need, even if this entails a greater financial and social burden. The mentally
handicapped need perhaps more attention, affection, understanding, and love than
any other sick person: they cannot be left alone, unarmed and defenseless, as it
were, in the difficult task of facing life.

Attention to the
emotional-sexual dimension of disabled persons

"In this regard, the care of the emotional and sexual dimensions of disabled
persons deserves special attention. This aspect is often ignored, glossed over,
and reduced or even dealt with ideologically. Instead, the sexual dimension is a
constitutive dimension of the human being as such, created in the image of the
God of Love and called from the outset to find fulfillment in the encounter with
others and in communion. The premise for the emotional-sexual education of
disabled persons is inherent in the conviction that their need for love is at
least as great as anyone else's. They too need to love and to be loved, they
need tenderness, closeness, and intimacy. Unfortunately, the fact is that
disabled persons find themselves living these legitimate and natural needs in a
disadvantaged situation that becomes more and more obvious as they grow from
infancy to adulthood. Despite the damage to the mind and the interpersonal
dimension, disabled people seek authentic relationships in which they can find
appreciation and recognition as persons.

"The
experience of certain Christian communities has shown that an intense and
stimulating community life, continuous and discreet educational support, the
fostering of friendly contacts with properly trained people, the habit of
channeling instincts and developing a healthy sense of modesty as respect for
their own personal privacy, often succeeds in restoring the emotional balance of
persons with mental disabilities and can lead them to live enriching, fruitful,
and satisfying interpersonal relationships. To show disabled persons that we
love them means showing them that we value them. Attentive listening,
understanding their needs, sharing their suffering, patience in guidance, are
some of the ways to introduce the disabled into a human relationship of
communion, to enable them to perceive their own value, and make them aware of
their capacity for receiving and giving love.

The disabled show us that
human life is ultimately found in Christ

"There
is no doubt that in revealing the fundamental frailty of the human condition,
the disabled person becomes an expression of the tragedy of pain. In this world
of ours that approves hedonism and is charmed by ephemeral and deceptive beauty,
the difficulties of the disabled are often perceived as a shame or a provocation
and their problems as burdens to be removed or resolved as quickly as possible.
Disabled people are, instead, living icons of the crucified Son. They reveal the
mysterious beauty of the One Who emptied Himself for our sake and made Himself
obedient unto death. They show us, over and above all appearances, that the
ultimate foundation of human existence is Jesus Christ. It is said, justifiably
so, that disabled people are humanity's privileged witnesses. They can teach
everyone about the love that saves us; they can become heralds of a new world,
no longer dominated by force, violence, and aggression, but by love, solidarity,
and acceptance, a new world transfigured by the light of Christ, the Son of God
Who became incarnate, Who was crucified and rose for us.

God always takes
the part of the marginalized and suffering

"Dear participants in this Symposium, your presence and commitment witness to
the world that God is always on the side of the lowly, the poor, the suffering,
and the marginalized. By making Himself human and being born in the poverty of a
stable, the Son of God proclaimed in Himself the blessedness of the afflicted
and shared - in all things save sin - the destiny of man, created in His image.
After Calvary, the Cross, embraced with love, becomes the way of life. It
teaches each one of us that if we know how to travel with abandoned trust the
exhausting, uphill road of human suffering, the joy of the Living Christ which
surpasses every desire and every expectation will blossom for us and for our
brothers and sisters. . ."

IN DEFENSE OF LIFE

Capital Punishment

Fred H. Summe, vice president of Northern Kentucky Right to Life

by Fred H. Summe

Can one who is anti-abortion and who
believes in the sanctity of all innocent human life, support capital punishment
legislation? The answer is yes.

The Catholic
Church has consistently taught that the use of capital punishment by civil
authorities was licit.

The Catechism of the Council
of Trent (1545-63), the section on the Fifth Commandment,
teaches:

"The just use of this power, far from
involving the crime of murder, is an act of paramount obedience to the (Fifth)
Commandment which prohibits murder. The end of the Commandment is the
preservation and security of human life. Now the punishments inflicted by
the civil authority. . .naturally tend to this end, since they give security to
life by repressing outrage and violence."

More
recently, the Catechism of the Catholic Church, revised addition, reiterates
this teaching:

"Legitimate public authority has the
right and the duty to inflict punishment proportionate to the gravity of the
offense. . .the traditional teaching of the Church does not exclude recourse to
the death penalty, if this is the only possible way of effectively defending
human lives against the unjust aggressor." (Sections 2266 and
2267)

Whether a country or a state should have laws
opposing the death penalty is a prudential judgment, on which reasonable
Catholic minds can differ. Deterring others from committing serious crimes
is a compelling basis for capital punishment. However, does capital
punishment really deter crime? In answering this question, Christians who
hold the Judeo-Christian principle of the sanctity of all human life can
differ.

The Holy Father, in Evangelium Vitae,
teaches that the state "ought not to go to the extreme of executing the offender
except in cases of absolute necessity. . .when it would not be possible
otherwise to defend society."

Cardinal Joseph
Ratzinger states: "Thus, where other means for the self-defense of society
are possible and adequate, the death penalty may be permitted to
disappear."

Whether there are today in the
United States other means of self-defense of society that are possible and
adequate, is a matter on which Christians can and should
debate.

On the other hand, capital punishment,
properly administered by the State, is not intrinsically evil. Reasonable
Catholic minds can differ on whether capital punishment should be used by the
state, for what serious crimes, and under what
safeguards.

A statement that it is immoral for the
civil authorities to use capital punishment contradicts the clear teaching of
the Catholic Church, implying the Church has taught and continues to teach that
which is immoral to be moral.

Individuals in the
anti-abortion movement can and do differ on whether capital punishment should be
used. However, to state that those who do not oppose the death penalty are
not pro-life would be to state that the Catholic Church is not
pro-life.

Elections

As to electing those
who hold the Judeo-Christian principle of sanctity of all innocent human life,
organizations mislead the electorate when they state or imply that a candidate
cannot be pro-life unless he holds that organization's position on issues which
do not involve acts which have been defined by the Church as intrinsically
evil. Candidates who are opposed to abortion, human cloning, etc., are
made to appear pro-death by supporting capital punishment or by favoring certain
government policies.

Also, candidates who favor
legalized abortion, etc., are made to appear to be pro-life, by reason of their
position on other issues, which are not in fact the core life
issues.

A number of years ago, a newly formed group,
Just Life, tried to co-opt the meaning of "pro-life" by homogenizing various
issues in a sort of "lowest common denominator" morality test. It
published the results of this moral homogenization which then showed as
"pro-life" such aggressive pro-abortion leaders as Senators Ted Kennedy and
Howard Metzenbaum (67% pro-life ratings) and simultaneously gave effective and
traditional anti-abortionists poor pro-life ratings: Sen. Jesse Helms
(29%), Rep. Henry Hyde (40%), and Rep. Robert Dornan
(33%).

"The upshot of all this is trying to put
abortion, capital punishment, and war in one package makes chaos of Catholic
morals and can lead one to misinterpret God's law so that, at least by omission,
one will do what is objectively evil: namely, refuse to defend the
innocent," Fr. Richard Roach, S.J., Professor of Moral Theology at Marquette
University.

Christians need to be involved in the
political process, especially in the debate whether capital punishment should be
used by the various states or by the federal government.

Just A Few Thoughts

Ray Grothaus

by Ray Grothaus

(Editor's
note: This article first appeared in Monthly Shopper and is reprinted with
permission.).

Just a few thoughts on
compassion.

We think we're pretty smart. We've
achieved a good deal of success in our jobs and have a happy, healthy
family. We live in a nice house and maybe even drive a fancy car.
Sometimes, unfortunately, we can let our station in life go to our
heads.

We see a person in shabby clothes and think
they're a bum. When a wreck of a car loudly disturbs our peace, we say,
"Why don't they get that thing fixed?" It's easy to look down on folks who
are less fortunate than us. We think because we wear nicer clothes or have
smarter kids that we're somehow better than others. Television shows extol
the virtues of the high life. Look good, drive fast, and live hard.
Movies are worse as they show everyone that promiscuity is the way to be
popular.

Now it's one thing to want to look and be
your best. I believe everyone should strive to improve themselves.
It's when we tell others how great we are when trouble starts. We can show
superiority with words as well as expressions. The sly roll of the eyes or
a smirk can send a powerful message. Why not try the words of St.
Luke? "Be compassionate as your Father is compassionate. Do not
judge and you will not be judged. For with what measure you judge, you
also shall be measured. Do not condemn and you will not be
condemned."

That line, "For with what judgment you
judge, you also shall be judged," really says it all. When you look at the
young parent in tattered jeans struggling with his children, you might be
tempted to judge his intelligence or why he can't control his kids.
Whatever you do or say is as a mirror. Judge and you'll be judged.
Condemn and you'll be condemned.

What about the
eighty year old driving so poorly two cars ahead? You could gripe and
complain about her inability to keep the car on the right side of the
street. But remember Luke's teaching, "Love your neighbors, bless those
that curse you, and pray for those who maltreat you." He continues, "Why
look at the speck in your brother's eye when you miss the plank in your
own?" Our words will all come back to us. Our actions are a
reflective glass. But the great thing about this philosophy is that it
works both ways. When you're nice to someone, that will return to you
also.

"Pardon and you shall be pardoned. Give
and it shall be given unto you. Good measure pressed down, shaken
together, running over will pour into your life." Now that's
exciting! Look in the mirror and what do you see? Whatever it is,
that's what you've earned. Practice being kind. A good person
produces goodness from the goodness of their heart. Each of us speaks from
our heart's abundance so fill yours with love and compassion and watch the
blessings pour forth. Just a few thoughts.

PRISON TO PRAISE

Bars Of Life

by R.L. Rainer

(Editor's note: Mr. Rainer writes from Michigan. We would like to
hear from a variety of prisoners. We welcome all contributions to this
column.)

Were I to walk outside this yard,
Beyond the wire and
beyond the bars,
Would that I were upon the street
And there my friends
and neighbors greet,

Would they see the blot herein?
Would they
forgive my grievous sin?

If we pray, we will believe;
If we believe, we will love;
If we love, we will serve

— Mother Teresa

If I could walk down a wooden lane,
A canopy
of leaves to hide my shame,
If woodland critters ran 'round my feet,
Would
they know my heart's sick beat?

If on a sandy beach I could
stroll
Among shell and rock along the shoal,
Would shell depart from where
I trod?
Would rocks cry out my sin to God?

Would laps of waves around
my feet
From my presence quick retreat?
Would gull and tern that circle
there
Scold loudly as they beat the air?

Would the sun that once the
sky did fill
Quickly dip down and give a chill?
Would that soft cool
evening breeze
Refuse my cheek to touch and tease?

When day has gone
to night reprise,
Would night's full moon refuse to rise?

If all of
this my lot should be
And 'er I not be touched by thee,
From bars afar
tho' be my goal,
In prison still would be my soul.

For the bars of
life are harder still,
Till thru grace I learn to do thy will.

The Passion Of The Christ

The movie The Passion of the Christ is
a powerful experience that pierces and permeates into one's innermost being,
affecting one to the core of one's heart, mind, and
soul.

Mel Gibson's depiction of Christ's Passion is
exquisite and elaborate in his terribly beautiful masterpiece that had to have
been under the guidance and direction of the Holy
Spirit.

The movie is a powerfully moving experience
that places us there, in the scene. We are not merely viewers; we are
eyewitness from beginning to end. The sights and sounds in the spectacle
of an innocent man of peace envelop us, Jesus Christ, betrayed and abandoned,
scourged and crucified.

The movie is a convincing
witness to the truth that Jesus Christ is the only Way, the Truth, and the
Life. It is a movie layered with multifaceted symbolism. There is
the violence that is graphic and grotesque, which causes us to want to cringe
and cry. There are the subtle flashback images, which affect each one of
us personally. Both exteriorly and interiorly, we manifest how greatly we
are moved. The juxtaposition of the horrendous pain and suffering of the
passion is interspersed with the memorable happier times of the past. This
reflects the reality of life; that all life is full of joys and sorrows, light
and darkness, truth and lies, happiness and sadness, laughter and
tears.

What mother can humanly bear to follow her
son to his execution? Only the Blessed Virgin Mary could do it, only by
the grace of God, only by the infusion of a supernatural love that is beyond all
human understanding. That same kind of love is the love that we need to
possess in order for us to follow our path with
Jesus.

The diabolical torture is physically and
emotionally unbearable, it is inhumane, and it is savage. We get a touch
of the tremendous price paid by Christ in carrying not only the cross, but also
all of our sins.

The movie is both physically and
emotionally draining and exhausting, and yet at the same time paradoxically
spiritually introspective and inspirational.

Our
pain and suffering only makes sense when it is united to the pain and suffering
of Christ.

This movie is a cinematically crafted
coup. Each scene is a vignette, a portrait painted, a visual image
engraved, a thought to be pondered, a moment to be relived and internalized, a
reality not to be easily forgotten much less
ignored.

We all would probably much rather prefer
the sanitized, ephemeral depiction of the Passion; distant and impersonal
instead of up close and personal. We do not want to see. We want to
look away. We want to close our eyes. We want to shield ourselves
from the brutal, harsh, cruel reality of life and death, which surrounds
us. That is the tempter spewing forth his lies, deceptions, denials, and
misconceptions. Love is acknowledging
reality.

When we open our eyes to see, then we
really see the beauty of what is truly beautiful and the ugliness of what is
truly ugly in the eyes of God. The only thing that is truly ugly is sin,
not the person committing the sin, because the person is loved by God so much
that He went through all that and more in order to save that person. It is
our thought-sin, our word-sin, and our deed-sin, which refuses to love God and
others and rejects the grace offered by God not to sin. Sin is the only
truly ugly thing we should see.

We should see our
sins. Each time we think a sinful thought, speak a sinful word, or do a
sinful deed, another lash whips Christ. It is a heavier burden added to
the weight of the Cross He must carry. It is another spit thrown in His
Face. That crown of thorns digs deeper in His Head. That nail
pounded in His Hands and Feet. That kiss of betrayal by one He calls a
friend He loves. It is in the sweating of one more drop of Blood in the
Garden of Gethsemani. He takes another excruciating step on the Via
Dolorosa toward His Crucifixion. It is another falling down and getting up
again. It is the time extended spent hanging on the Cross. Another
wound inflicted on a body already torn to shreds. Christ underwent all of
this suffering because He loves each one of us intimately in that He would lay
down His Life that we might have Life.

The presence
of evil is palpable throughout the movie. The haunting portrayal of the
evil one is ingenious, in that the devil is both insidious and yet at the same
time intriguing in a curiously foreboding, ominous, suspicious, and sinister
manner. The devil lurks with cunning, creeps along and makes his way into
our lives when and where we are most vulnerable and
susceptible.

Individually the devil attacks us as he
did Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemani. Socially, culturally, and
politically he attacks us through our institutions as in the mob gathered to
mock and jeer Jesus, Who is Truth.

Our human laws
that contradict the Law of God place Truth to death and allow lies to
flourish. And not only do these lies become acknowledged and acceptable,
but more hideous is that these lies are exalted and entrenched as rights to be
proudly flaunted, politically incorrect to be questioned, and never and under no
circumstances to be criticized or to be denied. We are to respect God's
laws and not be purveyors of perverted social, cultural, or political
agendas.

We all know the story of the Passion of
Christ, but we must also live the Passion of Christ. This movie is a
modern prayerful, meditative, reflective vehicle to assist in our Lenten and
Life journey toward reaching our final destiny of Easter Resurrection.
Moreover, what a most glorious and majestic resurrection it is for us to be
renewed, refreshed, reinvigorated with the ultimate love story of all
time.

God bless Mel Gibson for the movie and the
persecution he is willing to endure in making his Catholic faith public.
He models and exhibits such Christian courage, creativity, and conviction, and
from of all people, a Hollywood celebrity. God chose the right man for the
right job at the right time. Let us pray that as God's humble instruments
we may be the people God made us to be, and to do God's work in our
lifetime. Let us also pray for all those who experience the movie The
Passion of the Christ, may it truly be a time touched by God's
grace.

Letter To The Editors

To the
Editors:

Just finished reading My People from
cover to cover and thought a note would be in order, especially since you have a
request that you'd like to hear from your readers.

Where should I begin? The whole issue is so inspirational – Susan's "New
Creation" column about a marvelous priest, Father Beiting. His life's
story should inspire and encourage many other vocations to serving God in the
priesthood.

I loved Ray Grothaus' column too, "Just
A Few Thoughts" – about following rules for driving and drinking, etc.
Well written and so much to the point! Would that Ray's column would be
mandatory reading for all youth 16 and up!

The poem
from Tyrone Thomas touched me too and I can relate to his vision of
heaven.

In our ever-darkening world where truth and
reason are hard to find, it is a great gift of God to have My People newspaper
come each month.

P.S. If anyone (over 16)
hasn't seen The Passion of the Christ yet – go, – it is the best movie ever
made.

Judy Bergh
Sparta, MI

Pray The News

Because we are
sons and daughters of God, saved by Jesus and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we
do not merely read the news but make the news. We direct the course of
world events by faith expressed in action and intercession. Please pray
for the stories covered in this paper. Clip out this intercessory list and make
it part of your daily prayer.

We pray that a
great and fervent prayer will rise to God for vocations to the priesthood,
religious life, and missionary service.

We pray
that Catholics will pray for vocations on a regular
basis.

We pray for holy priests and
religious.

We pray for the disabled to be
treated with compassion and respect and for appreciation of their unique
witness.

We pray for an understanding of the
Church's teaching in the area of capital
punishment.

We pray for all those who attend
The Passion of the Christ to grow closer to
Jesus.

We pray for all to have a happy and holy
Easter season.

The cost of this publication is a donation.
Pray and ask the Holy Spirit what amount He would have you contribute.